U.S. Women's Update - March 2

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 2, 2009) – The current edition of the U.S. Women's National Team Weekly update released on March 2 includes briefs on national team players competing overseas, U.S. Women's National Team Open Tryouts, trivia questions, how to purchase replica national team jerseys, updated list of United States players competing professionally overseas (including non-National Team members) and much more.

For the complete PDF document that includes the international transfer list, trivia questions and other fan interaction sections, click here.

BERG RINGS STOCK EXCHANGE BELL: Lindsey Berg (Honolulu), a two-time Olympian with the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team, assisted the Jack Brewer Foundation in ringing the New York Stock Exchange closing bell on Feb. 27. As a Jack Brewer Foundation supporter, Berg assisted in ringing the closing bell along with Foundation founder Jack Brewer, Congressman Charles Rangel and Dallas Cowboy Marion Barber. “This is such a huge honor for me to ring the New York Stock Exchange Bell,” Berg said. “Ringing the bell and being a part of the Jack Brewer Foundation is yet another great and positive experience in my life. I am proud to be able to join some other very prestigious people who have had the opportunity to ring the bell. But more importantly, I am happy to be here to support my friend Jack and his foundation. Sometime in the near future, I would like to develop a foundation of my own and become more active in the community.” For the full story, click here.

TRIVIA QUESTIONS: 1. How many different U.S. Olympic Teams has Toshi Yoshida been on staff? 2. What former U.S. Olympic National Team player is currently a head coach within the USA Volleyball High Performance Pipeline? Answers can be found on page four in the full PDF version (click here) of the current U.S. Women’s National Team Weekly update.

TOM UPDATE: Logan Tom (Salt Lake City, Utah), a three-time U.S. Olympian and Best Scorer of the 2008 Olympic Games, is playing with Hisamitsu Springs in the Japanese V-League. She started the weekend off with 29 points in a hard-fought 19-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-21, 15-9 victory over Hitachi on Feb. 28. Tom netted 26 kills on 64 attacks, two blocks and an ace in the victory. She added 18 positive service receptions on 29 chances for a 62.1 percent. Tom followed up the performance with 10 points in a sweep (26-24, 27-25, 25-20) over JT on March 1. She was held to just six kills on 24 attacks, but made up on the defensive side of the net with four blocks and an 89.7 positive service reception percent (26 of 29). Hisamitsu Springs moves up to third place in the V-League standings with a 16-8 record and is in good position for the playoffs. Hisamitsu Springs only has a March 8 match next week against Denso, which is currently in fourth place and three victories behind Hisamitsu Springs.

HANEEF-PARK UPDATE: Tayyiba Haneef-Park (Laguna Hills, Calif.), a two-time U.S. Olympian, is competing for the Pioneer Red Wings of the Japanese V-League. She contributed 19 points in a 25-18, 25-22, 25-15 sweep of Hitachi on March 1. Haneef-Park provided 17 kills on 33 attacks with just one error. She added two aces on 13 serves. Pioneer improves to 12-11 on the season and is in sixth place in the V-League standings. Pioneer challenges Takefuji Bamboo (9-12, eighth place) on March 8 in its only match of the week.

METCALF, STALLS UPDATE: Nancy Metcalf (Hull, Iowa), a 2004 Olympian, is playing for Eczacibasi Zentiva of the Turkish professional league along with 2008 Olympic Games alternate Tracy Stalls (Denver, Colo.). Metcalf scored a match-high 16 points as Eczacibasi defeated Nilufer Belediye Spor 25-17, 25-14, 26-24 on Feb. 28. She was credited with 14 kills on 24 attacks, one block and an ace. Stalls chipped in three kills on six swings and two blocks in a starting role. Eczacibasi Zentiva, currently tied for third in the Turkish League with an 11-5 record, returns to action in the CEV Indesit Champions League on March 5 with a Playoff 6 Round match against Poland’s Fakro Muszynianka. The home-and-home series concludes on March 11 with a spot into the Indesit Champions League semifinals on the line. To view a photo gallery of Eczacibasi’s match against V Gunes Sigorta from Feb. 18, click here.

NNAMANI UPDATE: Ogonna Nnamani (Bloomington, Ill.), a two-time Olympian now playing professionally in Turkey for Galatasaray, tallied 11 points in a 17-25, 25-18, 25-11, 25-22 loss to V Gunes Sigorta on Feb. 25. She recorded nine of her 11 points via kills while adding a block and ace. Galatasaray, currently seventh in the league standings with an 8-7 record, returned to the win column on Feb. 28 as it defeated Konya Eregli 25-23, 25-13, 25-23. Nnamani pounded 17 kills on 28 attempts for a 61 kill percent, while adding four blocks as part of a match-high 21 points.

McGINNIS, HUGHES UPDATE: Angie McGinnis (Fraser, Mich.) and Heather Hughes (Fallbrook, Calif.), both alternates on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team and now competing for Besiktas JK Bayan of the Turkish professional volleyball league, dropped a 25-14, 19-25, 25-19, 25-21 match to V. Gunes Sigorta on March 1. Full match stats are unavailable. Besiktas is 8-9 on the season and in sixth place.

BUSSE, CRIMES, PRESSEY UPDATE: Toa Baja, competing in the Puerto Rico Super League, features three players who trained with the U.S. Women’s National Team during 2008. Cassie Busse (Prior Lake, Minn.), Angie Pressey (Lake Mary, Fla.) and Alexis Crimes (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) all are sharing a heavy offensive load for Toa Baja. The trio combined for 35 points as the Llaneras swept Ponce on Feb. 24. Busse and Crimes tallied a dozen points apiece, while Pressey added 11 points and 11 digs. Toa Baja won its 10th match in a row as Busse produced 22 points via 18 kills, two blocks and two aces in a sweep of Mayaguez. Crimes added nine points and Pressey chipped in six points. Jeanne Fairchild led Mayaguez with 12 points in the loss. Toa Baja remained undefeated in 11 matches as it defeated Caguas in straight sets on March 1. Pressey recorded 12 points and 12 digs, while Crimes added 11 points and Busse eight.

OTHER AMERICAN STANDOUTS IN PUERTO RICO LEAGUE: Kylie Atherstone tallied 16 kills in leading Carolina to a sweep of Juncos on Feb. 24. In the loss, Vicky Brown totaled 13 points…Jessica Vander Kooi, in her first match of the season, contributed 13 points with 11 digs and 22 receptions as Mayaguez defeated Guaynabo in four sets. Teammate Jeanne Fairchild added 13 points in the victory, while Lindsay Phillips produced 23 points in the loss…Jane Collymore pocketed a match-high 20 points as San Sebastian defeated Ponce in straight sets on Feb. 26. Kara Uhl, playing her first match for Ponce, tallied 11 points…Vicky Brown chipped in 13 points as Juncos topped Caguas in four sets on Feb. 26. Kelly Wing, playing her first match for Juncos, added nine points, 15 digs and 17 receptions…Jane Collymore charted 20 points and Shonda Cole added 16 points as San Sebastian swept Ponce on Feb. 26. Kara Uhl scored 11 points in the loss…Jordan Larson hammered a match-high 23 points in leading Bayamon to a four-set victory over San Sebastian on Feb. 27. Shonda Cole scored 14 points in the loss, while Jane Collymore added 12…Kristee Porter tallied 16 points in leading Corozal to a sweep of Ponce on Feb. 28…Kylie Atherstone scored a team-high 18 points in leading Carolina to a five-set victory over Mayaguez on March 1. Jessica Vander Kooi was credited with 12 points and 15 digs in the loss…For more highlights from the Puerto Rico Super League, click here.

AH MOW-SANTOS UPDATE: Robyn Ah Mow-Santos (Honolulu), a three-time Olympian for Team USA, has returned to her professional team in Switzerland as Volero continues into the playoffs. In the best-of-five league championship playoff, Volero lost to VC Kanti Schaffhausen 25-19, 25-17, 25-20 in the opening match on the road. “Our organization has to play much better by Wednesday, so we give away fewer points from our own mistakes,” Ah Mow-Santos said in a Volero press release. Volero returns home to host VC Kanti Schaffhausen on March 4 as part of the best-of-five series. The third match of the best-of-five is scheduled for March 7. If needed, the final two matches will be played on March 11 and March 14.

SCOTT-ARRUDA UPDATE: Danielle Scott-Arruda (Baton Rouge, La.), a four-time U.S. Olympian middle blocker, tallied eight points for CGF Recycle Florens Castellana Grotte in a 25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 26-24 loss to Monte Schiavo Banca Marche Jesi in an Italian Serie A match on March 1. Scott-Arruda was credited with five kills and three blocks in the match. Castellana Grotte falls to 8-12 on the season and is in ninth place, five points out of reaching eighth place to gain a playoff spot. Castellana Grotte looks to make up ground on March 8 against Yamamay Busto Arsizio, which currently is in sixth place.

BOWN UPDATE: Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.), a three-time Olympian and middle blocker on the silver-medal winning 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, did not play in her Italian Serie A professional league match on March 1 as Monte Schiavo Banca Marche Jesi defeated CGF Recycle Florens Castellana Grotte 25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 26-24. Jesi improves to 13-7 on the season and remains five points out of third place behind Asystel Volley Novara. Jesi returns to Italian Serie A action on March 7 agaist Riso Scotti Pavia. Jesi will also host the GM Capital Challenge Cup on March 14-15 as it plays Leningradka in the semifinals.

WILLOUGHBY UPDATE: Kim Willoughby (Napoleonville, La.), a 2008 U.S. Olympic Games silver medalist and now playing for Despar Perugia in the Italian Serie A league, played a limited role in her team’s five-set loss to Famila Chieri on March 1. Willoughby entered as a sub in the third set and started the fourth set, which resulted in Perugia winning both 25-23, 25-22 to tie the match and send it to the tiebreaker. However, Willoughby was not on the court in the 15-8 tiebreaker loss. She scored one kill on five attempts in the match. Perugia, 11-9, is in fifth place in the Italian Serie A standings. Perugia takes on Asystel Volley Novara on March 8 in its next match.

GLASS UPDATE: Kim Glass (Lancaster, Pa.), a 2008 U.S. Olympian playing professionally in Russia with Universitet Belogorie, did not play in her team’s 25-23, 25-20, 25-18 loss to Zarechie-Odintsovo on March 1. Universitet Belogorie returns to action on March 8 against league-leader Dinamo.

JOINES, RICHARDS UPDATE: Jennifer Joines (Milpitas, Calif.), a 2008 U.S. Olympian, and Kristin Richards (Orem, Utah), a 2008 U.S. Olympic Team alternate, are competing for Fakel in the Russian professional league this winter. Fakel dropped a heart-breaking five-set match to Avtodor-Metar on Feb. 28. Match statistics were not available for the match when this release was distributed. Fakel faces Spartak on March 8.

OLYMPIC LIBEROS TO HOST CAMP:www.finerpointsvball.com.

2009 PAN AMERICAN CUP COMING TO MIAMI: USA Volleyball will host the Eighth Annual Women’s Pan American Cup June 26-July 4 in conjunction with the USA Junior Olympic Girls’ Volleyball Championship in the Miami area. The nine-day Pan American Cup, which will tentatively have three of the four 2008 Olympic Games semifinalists (Brazil, USA and Cuba), will be played on the campuses of the University of Miami and Florida International University. “USA Volleyball is extremely excited about the opportunity to host one of the largest international volleyball events in Miami and to pair it with the 2009 USA Junior Olympic Girls’ Volleyball Championships,” USA Volleyball Chief Executive Officer Doug Beal said. “It will provide a unique opportunity for our developing young volleyball players to be exposed to elite international volleyball teams from North America, South America and the Caribbean. The two events will also generate terrific excitement in the community and lead to greater popularity for the sport.” USA Volleyball is hosting its first-ever Women’s Pan American Cup, which serves as a qualifying event into the 2010 FIVB World Grand Prix. The event is the largest international volleyball event hosted by USA Volleyball in terms of country participation. Team USA has not hosted a women’s senior-level international tournament since the 1998 FIVB World Championship Qualifier tournament in 1998. Due to international scheduling and professional league commitments, matches on domestic soil have become a rarity with only seven contests against foreign teams in the most recent Olympic quadrennial (2005-2008).

REPLICA JERSEY AVAILABLE FOR LIMITED TIME: Are you looking for a unique holiday gift for your volleyball loved ones? USA Volleyball has the answer with replica jerseys from its 2008 Olympic Games indoor teams being made available for a limited time by clicking here. The U.S. Olympic Women’s Team replica jerseys, priced at $65 apiece, are available in extra small, small, medium, large and extra large. Replica jerseys are available for all 12 U.S. players who participated in the 2008 Olympic Games. Each replica jersey will have the Olympian’s name on the back with their jersey number on both the front and back. In addition, USA Volleyball has several other 2008 Olympic Games apparel items commemorating the unprecedented indoor and beach volleyball success obtained in Beijing. Products available on the online store include short and long-sleeve T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies in multiple designs.

OLYMPIC COMMEMORATIVE APPRAREL ON SALE: USA Volleyball has unveiled five commemorative logo designs to appear on apparel saluting USA Volleyball’s medal successes at the recent Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Beijing. Apparel can be purchased by clicking here. Men’s and ladies’ T-shirt designs are $15, while the youth T-shirt size is $13. Long sleeve t-shirts are $18, crew sweatshirts are $23 and hoodies are $30. Sizes XXL and larger have a slightly higher price. USA Volleyball’s success on the Olympic grand stage in Beijing has never been achieved by any other nation since volleyball was added to the Olympics in 1964. The U.S. Olympic Men’s Indoor Volleyball Team, which was named the United States Olympic Committee Team of the Month for August 2008, captured the gold medal at the Olympic Games without losing a single match. Women’s Beach Volleyball (Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh) and Men’s Beach Volleyball (Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers) both came back from Beijing with Olympic Games gold medals. The U.S. Olympic Women’s Indoor Volleyball Team captured the silver medal in Beijing, as did the U.S. Women’s Sitting Team during the Paralympic Games. No other country has ever participated in the gold-medal match of all four Olympic Games volleyball disciplines during the same year. Team USA added a fifth gold-medal appearance at the Paralympic Games.